Josh McGregor: One year on after BESTPILOT

Josh was Kura’s first BESTPILOT, our initial meeting was at Waterloo station, this was before we had even opened our offices and training suite in Stratford. Josh went on to be our first pilot placed with Flybe and was a true trail blazer of BESTPILOT.

It has been a year since graduating with Kura and since then I have been flying the Dash for Flybe out of Manchester Airport. What can I say? Only that this is the best job in the world. We operate into a wide variety of airfields with fantastic crew and I am constantly learning and developing; not only as a pilot but in my character as well. I have Kura to thank for this opportunity, for putting me forward for the role and believing in me.

I completed most of my training with Cabair who went into liquidation before I finished the CPL IR. It was a rocky finish to my flight training as I had to transfer to another ATO. At the time it very much felt that I was entering the industry on the bottom rung of the ladder and at times it seemed that I would never get a job.

Post- qualification I spent two years working as cabin crew with BA. I still constantly applied for First Officer roles with airlines worldwide but to no effect. However, after joining Kura as their first student before all the affiliations they now have were set up, I “landed” my job with Flybe. It all seemed to happen so quickly after spending so much time before Kura in a fruitless search for work.

I am forever grateful to Isobel and the entire team. Not simply for the opportunity that they helped identify but the training and preparation they delivered though BESTPILOT. A preparation that has helped me deal with every incident and disruption I have faced to date!